Decorating Your Holiday Home

How to Style a Holiday House

The Whale Festival this month always signifies the start of the bustling summer season for us in Hermanus. As the winter weather starts to fade and visitors increase, here are some tips on how to style your holiday home. Whether your Hermanus home is for your own guests or you are renting it out for a good seasonal income, there are some do’s and don’ts of holiday house interior design.

Pretty Practical

Probably the most important, yet often quite difficult balance to strike, is that between the pretty and the practical. Whilst cluttering your house with lots of personal items is not advised, particularly for the rental market, you also don’t want your house to look sparse and unfinished. Layer your home with cushions, throws, well placed objets d’art and fresh flowers. Make sure your home is childproofed by avoiding furniture pieces with very sharp edges, or glass table tops for example.

Super Storage

Don’t be surprised if your guests who are just coming for a quick weekend trip pack a much as they would for a month! Ensure that all bedrooms, in particular, have sufficient storage space to pack away all of their clothes, including hanging space for summer dresses, and that bathrooms have a closed cabinetry unit for personal items. Your entrance hall should provide hooks for keys, sunhats and beach towels. If you expect kids to come visiting, storage for their toys and games is essential, so think extra baskets or storage ottomans which can double up as extra seating.

Be Guest-Centric

For guests who have not visited Hermanus previously, make sure that you have some books of interest about the local areas and historic towns, the animals and birds of the area, as well as brochures of trips and activities on offer. A bottle of our wonderful local wine on arrival will also be appreciated.

Robust Finishes

Err on the side of practicality when it comes to fabrics. There is a great deal of contract fabrics available which are both beautiful and sensible. Your designer, or fabric supplier will be able tell you the rub count and care instructions. Think of getting slip covers made for your sofas and armchairs which are easy to remove and wash. It is best to put slip covers on a cold wash and put them back on when they are still slightly damp, or have them professionally cleaned. Consider scotch guarding all your sofas, cushions and fabric headboards as it is inexpensive and makes a huge difference to durability.

Restful Relaxation

A holiday home colour palette should be restful and relaxing and inspire people to have fun as well as chill out. Neutral palettes and greys are great for beach house walls and then accessorize with the colours from the world around you and the sea. Think mixed blues, whites, soft greens, coral and duck egg tones.

Easy Entertaining

Whether your holiday home is for the rental market or simply for your family and friends, you can bet that home entertaining will play a big part in their stay. Open plan kitchen, dining and living spaces will ensure that the host can chat to their guests whilst cooking and preparing food instead being stuck away in the kitchen. Where possible, create an easy flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. The most functional kitchen tops are engineered stone or granite and are easy to clean, hardy and don’t scratch. Outdoor spaces should not be neglected in terms of great design and comfort.

Gorgeous Guest Bedrooms

Good quality matrasses, non-allergenic pillows and high thread count bedding not only allow for guest comfort, but are also more durable in the long run. Layer beds with cushions and throws for an enticing feeling and ensure that your window treatments offer 100% block out for those lazy sleep in mornings.

Bathroom Basics

Keep bathrooms uncluttered and stocked with thoughtful basics such as fresh toilet paper rolls, clean fluffy towels, luxury hand soaps and creams. Full length mirrors and a hairdryer will be appreciated by guests getting ready to go out on the down.

Most of all, have fun with your styling because your holiday home should be a place where you can rest and relax and regroup in this beautiful part of the country that we are lucky to call our home all year round